


What is a kiwi?

by background_vulcan, emcapi, greatbirdofthegalaxy, JadeAbarai, SaritAadam, TransMartain (EternalLibrary), yel_halansu



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28886964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/background_vulcan/pseuds/background_vulcan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/emcapi/pseuds/emcapi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/greatbirdofthegalaxy/pseuds/greatbirdofthegalaxy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeAbarai/pseuds/JadeAbarai, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaritAadam/pseuds/SaritAadam, https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalLibrary/pseuds/TransMartain, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yel_halansu/pseuds/yel_halansu
Summary: Written as part of our Discord RP. Sindari tries to understand her crew-mates despite the translator being down
Kudos: 3
Collections: USS Tribble Threat





	What is a kiwi?

**Author's Note:**

> Collaborative Discord RP. There is limited editing on this because I ripped this straight from the server. Translation of Rihan in parentheses  
> Jaale written by https://chrysanthdreams.tumblr.com/  
> Alceste written by mary-louise4760 https://mary-louise4760.tumblr.com/

Sindari woke up and stretched. She hadn’t been sleeping well with everything that had been going on recently, she had either spent most of the time either in the kitchen late into the night or parked in front of the holo vid, drinking through Alexei’s wines. Dragging herself out of bed she took a quick shower and changed into her uniform, she debated whether or not to grab a proper breakfast but decided that she would rather just get a jump started on the reports and just hold off till lunch.

Grabbing her PADD she headed out.

* * *

The cafeteria was fairly quiet this morning, a few of the beta shift were groggily enjoying their dinner, Sindari made her way over to the replicator and paused.

The replicator screen was a mess of letters, shapes, and numbers. Sindari blinked a few times and banged on the side of the panel in a futile attempt to fix it. Nothing happened of course. Sighing she moved to the next one and noticed whatever was plaguing the first one had also effected this one also.

Sindari let out a frustrated growl, she just wanted a Raktajino. She must have ordered it a thousand time by now she should know where it sat on the list by heart. She reset the screen and tried not to interrupt herself as she let her muscle memory take over.

Before she knew it she watched as the large mug materialize with her usual addictions. Sindari smiled, pleased with herself, and took a small sip to make sure.

Perfect.

She headed out towards the med-bay, she was going to have to alert Engineering of the malfunction.

* * *

Entering the quiet of the med-bay was always a welcoming relief from the corridors. Shift change was always chaotic and seemingly everyone insisted on having full conversations most mornings, luckily she was early. It would just be her and the data banks until Lieutenant Inn came in.

Sitting at her desk she typed in her credentials and pressed enter. She stared at the screen. What the hell was she looking at. 

\--Raportoj (45) Datumbaza Laboratorio Rezultoj (15) Preskriboj (3) Mesaĝoj (99+)--

Sindari scowled and pulled out her PADD. Great. Perfect. Everything was practically unreadable. She took a long drink of her Raktajino before tapping her commbadge.  
  
”Arifv etrehafwe h'rau ih'hiifven. Rhham thaehosnen u’haud'etrehh etrakhan. U’ khlenai h'rau mnhe'rhe.”

(Engineering to Medical. My Computer and PADD are damaged. And the replicators in cafeteria.)

Sindari looked at her console and leaned back. She only had the basics of standard down, she could read a menu given enough time, but lab results and the data banks were way over her head.

Sighing she looked around and spotted the prescriptions, sitting neatly in the cabinet. There wasn't going to be much to do until the console got fixed, so she might as well fill those.

Unlocking to unit she pulled out the first shelf and stopped.

Ah.

The translator clearly was down. The labels that were usually so clearly marked were now basically unreadable.

*Dolormurdisto*, what the hell was that!.

Sindari sat back down at her desk. She couldn’t do anything like this.

She could work the devices and scanners but couldn’t read anything but the numbers, and she didn’t want to chance getting someones vitals wrong because she misunderstood something.

She fidgeted with her mug and debated whether or not to just leave.

K'tsek is unaware that something is wrong yet. He enters the med-bay and spots Sindari in deep thought.

He goes to her desk with a smile and a wave, his voice as loud as ever when he greets her in standard.

Sindari flinches slightly at the noise level of the Klingon.

"Jolan'tru K'tsek, Arhem ssuajukhe, rhihaenen wanarae." She said harshly.

(hello k’tsek, I do not understand you, the translator is damaged.)

K'tsek frowns and puts his hands on his hips. What he says sounds like a question

Sindari frowned, he was speaking too fast for her to catch what he was saying.

"Arhem........ ssuajukhe,........ rhihaenen........ wanarae" She said much slower this time, motioning to her console in frustration. (I do not understand you, the translator is damaged.)

K'tsek mumbles something before saying really slowly: "Stop... talking... Rihan."

Sindari smiled, she understood that! She thought for a moment of how to explain her predicament.

"I don't read....." She tried very hard to think how to pronounce the language. "S'tand red."

K'tsek leans over to look at her console, like it was the issue. He says something, too fast for Sindari to catch it. Finally, he looks up at her and starts talking slowly again. "Do you think the translator is broken?"

Sindari nods her head. That would make sense unless engineering was taking up the mantle for worst run department.

"ie." she answered in Rihan. (yes)

K'tsek sighs and raises his hands in the sky in exasperation. He starts complaining in a mix of Standard and Klingon before pushing Sindari out of her chair. "I" he points to himself, "will do your work" he gestures to the console. "Shoo." He waves her away.

Sindari stood by the desk awkwardly for a moment. She didn't much like being shoved out of her station, not to mention this probably wasn't the proper way of handing off an entire shift to someone not officially in the medical staff. But he could read standard and speak to the staff adequately where she could not.

Frowing she said. "Khnai.......Thank youh." (thank you)

She turned and headed out of the med-bay.

K'tsek just brushes off the thanks with a gesture of his hand and starts working. At least he is going to have things to do today.

* * *

Sindari wandered down the corridors not sure what to do. People were chattering all around her in groups, either their own language or in Standard. She was stopped a few times but as soon as she responded to anything she was given a polite smile and the conversation was soon abandoned.

She tried to talk to the engineering ensign to see how long it would take for the translator to be repaired, but was only met with a shrug and a laugh. 

This was getting frustrating. She stopped at the recycler and deposed of her mug. Perhaps the gardens would be quiet.

* * *

Sindari entered the arboretum, she quickly spotted T'Vana and the Dr. Frowning, she approached them, she doubted that the Dr. could understand her, he seemed very Terran. But T'Vana might.

"Jolan'tru." She greeted with a tired smile.

"Thank you" T'Vana replies to Will with her heavy accent. "I write on list. 7 days from now" she says brokenly before turning to Sindari.

"Jolan'tru" she replies with her heavy Vulcan accent. She doesn't actually speak Romulan, but this is one of the few words she has picked up.

Sindari smiled at T'Vana's greeting, in an attempt to get across her point quickly she asked the two. "S'tand red evil. Time fix?"

T'Vana frowns for a moment and bites her lower lip. Her grasp of Standard is not strong enough to decipher what Sindari just asked.

Wills face is pure confusion at Sindaris words, Time fix? His brain clicks through all the possible meanings before he laughs lightly, "yes. Very bad. Engineer soon hopefully?" He says back sympathetically.

"Fvadt" she mutters, maybe she should just go watch the holo-vid until repairs happened. Not that she would be able to understand that either. "Not read S'tand red." She said, hoping that one of them could help her. "irhis." (dammit) (assist)

T'Vana understands fvadt, another of the things she has picked up from the two Romulans, but she struggles to understand the rest of the sentence. For a moment, she pauses, she then points at herself. "Vuhlkansu only. Standard little" she says. She then points at Will. "Erssu. Eingelsu also?"

Sindari blinked at them both in confusion and frowned. She knew Will was Terran, had T'Vana just found this out.

T'Vana then turns to her. "Rihansu. Standard good? Eingelsu?... Vuhlkansu?" she asks gently.

Wills eyes keep going from one woman to the other, they may as well be speaking in code.

"Rihansu!" She said with more excitement then probably needed. Quickly she added in Rihan "I don't understand Standard." (Arhem ssuajukhe dyyh'ehsaehn)

T'Vana bites her lower lip. She didn't fully understand Sindari's second sentence, but the conclusion was clear- she didn't feel comfortable speaking in anything but Romulan. An idea suddenly dawns on her. She says a Vulcan word quickly, and when she is met with quizzical looks, she repeats it slowly, signing as she pronounces it again. "Sutorsu". Close enough for the Romulan to understand it as "person-made-person"

Sindari watched her closely trying to gauge what she was trying to tell her. T'Vana was pregnant, that didn't make any sense. She asked the question slowly (veoth) "Offspring?"

T'Vana repeats it again, even more slowly. "Sutor-su". 'A person-made person', an artificial person. "Gol-tor sutorsu" she adds.

Sindari frowned and shook her head in disagreement. (no) "Dhat" She didn't want spend anymore time then necessary with the Snyths then need be. Slowly she said. (ih'sanhae) "Dangerous."

T'Vana nods insistently. "Dungi gol-tor sutorsu etwel. Goh ek'mesukh-stari-vel in'sna, ri gen-lis-faiktra t'au" she explains solemnly. She calls out in broken Standard: "Computer... Ot-lan Click where". The computer does not recognize the command, and T'Vana turns to Will with pleading eyes.

Will still looks confused, he calls Devin over.

The teen totters to them in his platformed wellies. "Yahright, babes?" He asks chewing on gum. Will does a rough attempt at copying what T'Vana had said. Devins eyes light up with amusement.

"Computer, Darling! Locate Lieutenant Commander Click" he says in flawless standard. The computer answers immediately. He smiles at the small group of confused elders.

"Lieutenant Click is in the cafeteria" the computer replies in clear Standard.

T'Vana has to think for a moment. 'Cafe-' means coffee in Standard, right? A place for coffee... She thanks Devin and Will profusely and starts to leave the arboretum, beckoning for Sindari to follow her.

Sindari huffed hearing Click's name. It was probably the best chance she had being understood on this ship, she bowed her head slightly to the two Terrans. "Bedah Terrhasu" (goodbye Terrans) before falling in line with T'Vana.

* * *

As if on cue, T'Vana and Sindari enter the cafeteria. The look around for a moment before locating Click and Alceste.

"Lieutenant Commander" T'Vana says rapidly in Vulcan, "I believe we require your assistance"

"Jolan'tru." Sindari greets solemnly.

Click looks up at them, before removing the cable from their head, coiling it and replacing it in their pocket. Lights flash before they close the panel in their head.

"Hello Lady T'Vana," they say in Vulcan, then, "Jolan'tru, Nurse Sindari." Then, in Vulcan again, "how can I help?"

T'Vana looks at the panel in Click's head in amazement before turning to them again. "Sindari only speaks Romulan. I believe she requires assistance, but I am unable to discern what exactly she requires" she explains to the android.

Sindari watches them carefully only catching the greeting, she was already starting to regret being here.

Click gestures understanding, then says in Romulan, "Nurse Sindari, do you require assistance?"

She stiffens slightly before answering in Romulan "I do not understand standard and cannot work any of the systems on the ship."

T'Vana watches their conversation raptly, looking between them like it's a tennis match and understanding a word every here and there from the Romulan language.

Alceste quietly drinks his tea and listens.

Click nods. "Which systems in particular? I am happy to help in any way." In Vulcan, they tell T'Vana, "The ship's systems are in Federation Standard, I imagine it is difficult to work them without an understanding of the language." They repeat this in Standard for Alceste's benefit.

T'Vana nods to Click and replies in Vulcan: "Indeed. I also struggled to operate the replicators this morning, however that does not require the level of refinement that a nurse's job does."

Click makes a mechanical humming, wondering if there may be some way to make the replicators pictographic for the time being. They'll have to speak with Sslith about that, later.

Sindari sighes. "Everything in the med-bay, the replicators, my PADD and all messages I am receiving." She doubted that she would be able to return to her shift but at lest someone could understand her. " And I would like lunch at some point." she added.

"Are there any pressing medical emergencies?" Click asks. "I believe those would be the most important. And I can translate messages for you. Would any of the kitchen staff be able to make some food so that those who cannot speak standard do not need to use the replicators?" They're starting to grasp the enormity of the situation. They wonder if Alexei would be able to help with translation. And surely there are other polyglots on the ship. Or the crew could organize into units based on shared languages?

Sindari shrugs and hands Click her PADD. " I do not know, all the communications from med-bay are in standard." As for the kitchen, she shot it a forlorn look. "I cannot tell the kitchen what to do because they do not know Rihan and my standard is not understandable."

Click scans the messages, and reads them to her, then types some notes in Rihan for her to refer to. "I can speak to the kitchen staff," they say.

Verelan appears sleepily in the cafeteria and goes straight to the replicator for her own compulsive raktajino.

She squints at the panel. Rubs her eyes. Scowls.

Looks around helplessly, then back at the panel.

She kicks the replicator, muttering imprecations under her breath. Damn thing is broken, the interface is scrambled. She recognizes the lettering as Standard, which means it's not interfacing properly with her translator. Oh well. This isn't the only source of raktajino on the ship.

Alceste glances over and pops the last bite of his breakfast into his mouth, then excuses himself from the table and approaches Verelan. "Shaoi kon, Subcommander," he addresses her in Rihan.

Sindari shoots a glance at Verelan quickly before turning away and back T'Vana and Click.

"Of course," says Click, then, startled by a noise, looks up to see Verelan. "Would you like to talk to them and I will translate,or should I just suggest they make enough food for many frustrated hungry crewpeople?"

"Just tell them to make the food." She said. "They will like it coming from you better." She didn't want them to have to translate the many choice words she had for those idiots.

T'Vana startles when Verelan kicks the replicator. She looks at her gently before turning back to the conversation, making a note to check with her later.

Click gets up to talk to the assorted kitchen staff, all standing around in various states of confusion, leaving Sindari and T'Vana with a promise to return. It takes four languages, but eventually they get to work,and have enough overlap in languages they can muddle though with the assistance of frantic miming.

Click returns to the table.

"Is there anything else I can help with?" they ask, first in Rihan then in Vulcan.

Inn marches into the cafeteria, obviously excited about something, going straight for Sindari. "Iss'dah-Ahtakshan Ssi'nndahrra'ee! Gakluhishu'kah!" He greeted, not at all realizing he was speaking in Saurian rather than standard. His tail wagged slightly as he clutched his padd. "Ss'Qa Inn gakmth'tkt'ohkuh Iss'dah-takvuhoh rram zahmth'ssqa ss'qa. Ss'rra Ssi'nndahrra'ee Rraheshan'tkt'oo qa'ktk'I takvuhluhoh-garmem ss'rra?" (one sec- nurse sindari! hello! i have finished the tests from yesterday. would you like to take a look?)

"I believe there is, Lieutenant" T'Vana tells Click in Standard, arching her eyebrow at Inn.

Sindari looked baffled. "Arhem ssuajukhe, rhihaenen wanarae." she told Inn.

Click greets Inn in Saurian, then in the same language, "The Universal Translator is malfunctioning. The Nurse cannot understand you. Unless you speak Rihan?" It's not on Inn's file, but you never know.

To Sindari, Click translates what Inn had said.

Sindari sighed and let Click translate. "Take the tests to K'tsek, he is in charge of the med-bay until this is fixed." she explained.

The kitchen staff quickly set out some snacks for the hungry crew members. Not the healthiest thing she could eat but it would tie her over until real food came out, returning to her seat with the others she sat and listened.

* * *

Jaale enters the gym. It’s been a weird and frustrating day and he could really use a whiskey. Instead, he is determined to try and exercise with no bodily harm being done.

Sindari entered the gym. She had been stopped multiple times by people that didn't seem to get idea that she couldn't understand a lick of what the were saying and was hoping that a couple hours in the gym would work out so of the frustration of today.

She spotted the Orion quiet easily against the cool tones of the room and approached him carefully. "Hallo, C'apten."

“Sindari! I’m glad we can converse somewhat. The only way I’ve been able to converse with most of the bridge crew is through interpretive dance...”

He pauses. Their last conversation had been....fraught with tension, to say the least. He wanted desperately to show her she could trust him. He looks to the sparring ring.

“Say, remember that time you royally kicked my ass?”

“I was wondering if...you might teach me now to defend myself against distinguishing fighters such as yourself?”

Sindari blinked at him confused, he seemed very enthusiastic about whatever he was telling her and was speaking incredibly fast.

She frowned trying to focus on what words she knew, she hoped it wasn't anything important. _Bridge...ass...teach....fight._

She regretted not dragging Click along but they seemed busy.

"S'tand red evil. Slow" she paused trying to parse together what she knew. "Teach you?" she asked.

Ah. She knew a lot less Standard than he did. He points at the sparring ring and then to Sindari.

“Can you teach me,” he gestures to himself, “fighting?”

Sindari looked surprised, she thought about it momentarily. If he were to get injured she would not be able to call up the computer for assistance. She huffed, it wouldn't have to be a proper lesson she decided.

"ie" she answered and headed to the mats.

Jaale shrugs. That sounded close enough to “yes”.

He joined her on the mats, throwing his jacked to the side and stretching his arms out.

Sindari didn't wait for him to get ready, she quickly turned from her own position and knocked his legs out from underneath him.

"Slow." She teased, quickly retreating. "No time."

Jaale smirks and gets to him feet. It was good to see her sense of humour, even if it did result in tripping him up.

“You’re right...I’ve got to be aware,”

He straightens up and motions with his fists.

“How do I block punches?” He mimics a slow motion punch, then gestures for her to demonstrate what she would do, and how.

Sindari with a furrowed brow watched his movements. That couldn't be how fast he could punch. She had seen him during fight club he had the speed. Perhaps he felt the need to hold back?

"Fast." She answered mimicking a faster jab. She looked to see if that answered his question.

She doesn’t quite understand him. Very carefully, and slowly, he takes her hand, closes it into a fist, and moves it towards him as if she is punching, then he slowly mimics a block with his own arm.

“How do I block good?”

Ah, he needed to know how to block. She took his balled fist and moved it away from her in one smooth motion.

"Push. No Stop." She said hoping that she was making sense. If he knew any Rihan this would have been a simple concept to explain but standard was such an ugly language.

The physical motion is enough to demonstration to him, but he needed to see it sped up.

“Show me?” He says, pulling back and gesturing that he was going to throw a punch so she could demonstrate the block at a normal speed.

Sindari nodded and watched.

The punch came at an low angle but she preformed the motion easily. His form wasn't.....well it wasn't anything different then any other officer on this ship and that was the problem. She tapped his shoulders and straightened her own back as an example. "To sky."

Jaale sighed. This felt stiff, and unnatural. He wishes he find a way to loosen up. He stretches out his back and elongates his arm, as if warming up to dance.

“To sky...hit me,” he motions for her to punch him so he can try to block.

Sindari jabbed quickly though hopefully she didn't do it too hard. She really wasn't ready to explain to the Chief why she had attacked the captain again.

To his own surprise...he managed to dodge, and grab Sindari’s hand and twist her arm around to rest in the small of her back; not hurting her, but rendering her unable to move. The motion was fluid, almost graceful, light on his toes. It felt like dancing with a partner.

He had never blocked anything so successfully before.

"Au'e! daelft!" She exclaimed. He learned quickly, perhaps he wasn't a lost cause. She waited till her arm was free before turning to face him. "khia surprizo arhem Orhyhonha." she smiled. (yes! Good!) ( you suprise me orion)

The Captain wasn’t sure what she was saying...but she sounded positive!

“That good? Dance technique good?” He smiles. This was the first time since being on this ship he had shown someone that he wasn’t as bad at dancing as he pretended to be. And that it could maybe help him be a better fighter.

There was that standard again, She nodded her head in affirmation. "Orion yes dance." She said in her heavy accent. She pointed to their feet. "Fast." she hoped that was clear enough.

“Yes, fast!” He repeats, smiling. He turns out his feet in first position, as if he is about to start a ballet routine. Instead he gestures for Sindari to attack her again.

“Punch me, again!”

Sindari threw a faster punch then before, keeping her eyes on his form, whenever engineering got this fixed she would have to give him a proper lesson. She half wondered if when Sahliek returned he would want to resume his training also.

Again, he dodges, blocks, and attempts to trip her, stretching out his arms and legs in a graceful form and twirling on the balls of his feet, his lean muscles working to his advantage.

It was a bit....flashy as a combat move, perhaps that is just how Orion's were. No matter, it was a decent attempt for how he began this, so she tripped into a roll and sat up. "daelft!" She quickly caught herself this time. "Jood! Less wings." She motioned to his outstretched arms. "Snap wings." she warned.

He took that onboard and nodded. They continued to spar, and Jaale managed to dodge and block and retaliate with consistency, using someone dance like movements but trying to keep them precise, like Sindari had advised. Sindari moved to trip him and he fell, breaking the impact by rolling forward.

He sits, panting and smiling. He teaches out his hand for the Romulan to take, to help him up.

“Thank you, Sindari. You teach me much,”

He hopes she would take his hand, this time.

Sindari shrugged and yanked him up by his hand. He seemed to be getting a hang of his own body and the space he occupied. Now how did you tell someone in standard they needed to practice.

Her brows furrowed in concentration "Execute many days." she said finally.

“Yes...we spar again?” Jaale asked, gesturing to Sindari and then at himself.

He was overjoyed that she had taken his hand, and was trying not to beam to unprofessionally. There was hope for them after all.

"ie---yes"C'apten." She nodded, spar meant fight.... though it did sound like spear so maybe he wanted weapons. She motioned to the replicator. "Water."

Jaale gets a water for the both of them and sips it, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Sindari finishes off her water and stands up. She exits the gym in hopes of getting a shower in.

* * *

Sindari stepped out of her room freshly showered and changed into her off duty clothes.

After the lab, Lodzhal went to his quarters and changed. Even if he doesn't know where to go. He spots Sindari and raises a ta'al, greeting her in Vulcan.

"Jolan'tru Arrain." She says without thinking. "Qiuu mnekha--" She stopped herself remembering that he didn't know any Rihan. "Hallo, Lieu-tenant." She corrected. (hello, lieutenant) (Is everythin-)

Lodzhal fidgets before pointing at himself. "Bad Standard too. Are you okay?"

"ie." She nods. "Talk fast. S'tand red small." Everyone else seemed fairly confident in their grasp of the federation language, she was grateful that she was not the only one just as confused.

Lodzhal nods. "Long since talk. Too bad," he gestures around them, to the whole situation.

Sindari sighed, she quite enjoyed their conversations but it was understandable given everything that was and had happened. "Lots Busy both." She motioned to them both. "Time fix?"

Lodzhal nods. He points to himself, "come medicine. Or eat? Glass? Sport? Want you what?"

Sindari looked puzzled.

"Glass?" What did that mean, there was glasses in the cafeteria and bar. Or was he referencing the observation deck, there were glass tables there and sometimes the ensigns called the transparent aluminum, glass.

She didn't know what she wanted, frowning she said. "Want when?"

Lodzhal thinks about it. "Don't know," he admits. He doesn't even now when the translator will be fixed.

Sindari pulled at her sleeve absently. Perhaps he was looking for something to do to pass the time. "Read S'tand red?" she asked, last she heard the food coming out of the cafeteria was....interesting. Perhaps he could read the replicator.

Lodzhal tilts his head. "Small."

Small was better then she could read, her face brightened.

"Read...." Her face fell again when she realized she had no idea what was the standard for replicator. "Food caft?"

Lodzhal frowns and mouths "food caft", not understanding what she means. Finally he sighs. "Show me what read."

Sindari looked around for the replicator and huffed. She quickly walked towards the cafeteria looking behind her once to see if the Vulcan was following.

* * *

Sindari and Lodzhal entered the cafeteria. She pointed to the line of replicators. "Food caft." she said. "only Raktajino, no food." she tried to explain.

Lodzhal looks at the replicator than Sindari. "Broken?" He asks, wondering why she wants him for that.

Sindari stared at him. "No read." She tried to explain that she only knew how to get a raktajino. "Food." She slapped the replicator to prove her point.

Lodzhal blinks a few times. He points to Sindari : "No food?"

Sindari nodded and motioned to the kitchen where a pot of odd suspicious soup sat. "Evil food." and then pointed to the replicator. "Food."

Lyle - having briefly visited engineering, seen that there was nothing they knew of that could be done except wait for the stupid reboot, and made a mental note to give their fellow ensigns grief about it for the rest of their lives - has finally made it to the cafeteria. They beeline straight to a replicator for a serving of monkey bread, because fuck everything. They've already eaten half of it and are on their way to find an open table when they notice Sindari and Lodzhal. "Hi- uhh, jolan tru? Dif-tor heh smusma?"

Sindari looked suprised at the greeting. "Jolan'tru Erein, Ssuaj-difv?" (hello ensing, You understand?)

Lodzhal raises an eyebrow to the cook, regretting not being able to tease her.

"Dif-tor heh smusma. Kup-stariben du vuhlkansu ha." He asks Lyle.

Lyle makes a so-so motion, followed by a pinch to indicate "little." "Language machine broke," they add in poor Vulcan and Romulan, a bit unnecessarily.

Sindari nods and points to his plate of food and very slowly in Rihan says. "Do you read Standard?"

Lodzhal nods. "Small Standard," he gestures between Sindari and him.

"Standard- yes!" they say, switching to Standard. They can't remember what "read" means, but the finger pointing is clear enough. "You want food?"

She nods trying to keep in mind that Ensign Lyle was not fluent in Rihan. Switching to Standard she explained. "Food, yes. Only Raktajino."

Lodzhal fidgets, feeling useless and too much now that Lyle is there. "What food?"

They frown. "Want food, yes, want Raktajino, no?" They try and confirm.

Sindari looked Lodzhal slightly panicked. She didn't think that far ahead and didn't know what the name of the food was.

She nodded at Lyle "yes."

She tried to think of the name. "Furry."

"Furry... Tribble? Wait, no. Kiwi? Furry green fruit?"

Lodzhal frowns, having no idea what Sindari wants.

Sindari sighed, what was a kiwi??

She made the motion of a bowl as if that would solve their problem. "Kaary." She said slower.

Lodzhal does the same gesture as her, still extremely confused.

Sindari desperately looked over to Lyle in hopes that they understood. She tried to think of a Romulan or vulcan dish that was similar. "Hot Kaary."

Lodzhal goes to the replicator trying to find food that sound like he one Sindari wants. It is long and after a few minutes, other people are waiting after him, complaining in language he doesn't understand. He turns to Sindari. "what planet?"

"Terra." She said looking over the choices even though she couldn't read them.

"Karry... Oh! Curry? Spicy?"

Sindari nods excitedly. "Yes Kaary Spicy."

Lodzhal quickly founds Curry in the replicator and makes one. He steps away and let Sindari watches it. "Yes?"

The bowl replicates a standard bowl of curry and she was not going to complain. All she had today was a snack of some sort of stale pastry that the kitchen made somehow. "Yes." She confirmed. "T'hank you." she said to them both.

Lodzhal nods.

"Yay!" Lyle cheers, before looking at the growing line, an idea starting to take shape. Hmm...

Emily-James walks in confused, his standard mixed with a clear English accent.

"What the fuck is going on with the translator?" he asks the second he sees his partner, clearly relieved.

Lodzhal offers him an ozh'esta. "Slow, please. Standard bad."

"Oh, coño, I didn't realize..." He says fast for himself, before starting again, slow and articulating:

"What is the translator doing?"

Sindari happily takes her curry to an empty booth and leaves the three with another heavily accented "T'hank you."

* * *

Sindari eventually makes it back to her own quarters and flops down on the bed. It had been a very frustrating day and she was grateful for the silence. Kicking off her boots she quickly falls asleep.


End file.
